Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Running the Bulls: A Novel
Running the Bulls: A Novel
Running the Bulls: A Novel
Ebook336 pages5 hours

Running the Bulls: A Novel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

2006 Paterson Prize for Fiction"That master juggler of literary tears and laughter is at it again: Cathie Pelletier's Running the Bulls is a ribald, ruminating, and redemptive read."—Wally Lamb, author of She's Come Undone

In small-town Maine, unhappily retired Howard Woods is shaken awake one morning by his wife, who confesses to a devastating affair. Unable to forgive his wife, Howard sets out on a journey in hope of finding life after tragedy.

Determined to follow in the footsteps of Hemmingway, Howard travels to Pamplona, Spain to join the running of the bulls. His life promptly descends into chaos. But how does a middle-aged homebody, who has never even done his own laundry, salvage his manhood and pride and learn how to rebuild his life on his own?

At once funny, insightful, and heartbreaking, Running the Bulls is perfect fans of Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout), The Language of Flowers (Vanessa Diffenbaugh), and The Good House (Ann Leary) who will be transfixed by this coming-of-age story of a late-middle-aged man.

Also from Cathie Pelletier, The Mattagash Series:

The Funeral Makers (Book 1): Welcome to Mattagash, Maine where everyone's personal lives are as entwined as their family trees.

A Wedding on the Banks (Book 2): Amy Joy Lawler just announced her engagement—to an outsider!

The Weight of Winter (Book 3): Surviving the winter will be hard; dealing with each other is another story.

The One-Way Bridge (Book 4): Return to Mattagash—the anything but tranquil town where a mysterious dead body has just been found in the woods.

What readers are saying about Running the Bulls

"Running the Bulls is filled with humor, and frailty, and heroism, and is so very human."

"Cathie Pelletier has once again given us a gift from the heart to both tickle and break our hearts."

What reviewers are saying about Running the Bulls

"Masterful work...subversive, humorous, and heartbreaking."— Publishers Weekly

"Nobody walks the knife-edge of hilarity and heartbreak more confidently than Cathie Pelletier. In Running the Bulls she's at her skillful, sure-footed best." – Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls

What people are saying about Cathie Pelletier

"Cathie Pelletier generates the sort of excitement that only writers at the very top of their form can provide."—Stephen King

"It is Pelletier's gift to be able to coax the drama from stony ground without artifice or sentimentality."—Boston Globe

"An ambitious, fearless novelist."—The Washington Post

"Cathie does a wonderful job of capturing [her characters'] moods and loves and losses, and yearnings…Her writing is lovely and so descriptive"— Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT

"Sharp stuff...Her sentences are powerful and unique as snowflakes."—New York Times

LanguageEnglish
PublisherSourcebooks
Release dateAug 5, 2014
ISBN9781402294853
Running the Bulls: A Novel
Author

Cathie Pelletier

Cathie Pelletier is the author of eleven novels, including The Funeral Makers, a New York Times Notable Book. The Washington Post calls her “An ambitious, fearless novelist...one of the funniest novelists at work in this country.”

Read more from Cathie Pelletier

Related to Running the Bulls

Related ebooks

Literary Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Running the Bulls

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

7 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Running the Bulls - Cathie Pelletier

    D1^book_preview_excerpt.html}ےƱ@'lGH,mfH1SEnhzGeɵ2 grd\yy8Q|_m,/cgq˭⺪kz#0 ߆p7ˮ\m7!M3qpc[Z?K7-{ƃ/Є!/ w|4>>)8(7G?)F(s}ENPMǼebƌ_}q]]֗'?l䄋8=g5qO26Gsvcp[nWhmjZ9#+3G g?z|$9p߇C'*6ǯ,{e"2c mC^"59~Zg)뽨?g-;?@zI4/2qlﮮ_g~4S>Itn|o`A+5_)YGw멓 >Y^˪.(%:k2n0avS3^t~yiqן_?~zq7_|Nc2Ń*!9O++)bՌ@]]Ca"d [5 Db֍9jA , TSbQ e*`p](2.a]th2ہD xg*o6!P{$/!2˻ya.P. ,QAּs3ҹ/M2K 8~|}Y< ?''q+p岦 \_~Bo>ϟ>s\_}?e,~{</N!Mod?c7y?" _?B\Xd!(I@;x> oV$RgW:3`,H-.߼Gy?Votͣiv;Kv7'_ո 瑍8(vg鍐>/ /y'+L^ޟ?U5+PH=cugwGuwU6I|([AQ|;b)?~Sd47Cs8/X.N>!V?4L2уlq&V]8XpC (!M01hX*ag^|I1sN#|:t'e7eMQ{%ތWߓݧB4 s 7=(Ao/(u}0AT@ɺ왮WQ6q=kMe{)-AUbt1ef`v^W"FG/z[q-9qZW6"S:'Y< ^ߐZpkspFXW(vP~hNf(C:vUP^(O2h`#%ca S7 f Hѹa]#B-!z8Rt4"J.Em5 /#8,4uNVeHquMGBEOsZ?A,^ AeהOslD!6Q+aS@e0sȗm]鼶 &Yf+ިTQ\lt.{cPوԤыt<e:>^ X(BF@- ?&3%0//tՄB a"+:_=dJc,iYxK-(dҗ$ $!H<3Z*olfz71%' an@vZ7/K \ߎ0V֛+P᧥O(`MMRd!CG=`&0M"`p꧸.rIN&POnMzdĨ<\`F>Y3 l 2B[Uuo|{'bsw r3vf5Y@-l?`}KF_|ٖ^v<HY|#uJ:I50hÏuT~`(0hI;HRXF͈IАD=n,4oZlPB ||! PF7kO%P`hG2‚r!!FgLW~~R ') $.&CvYUd:9%/a``=b q8a*Dm=l(doT@<)\ߋ,x%rTF&a;2I$6 \%g 2 /Ѓ!D?uڞrwѓ^'Tnېkm lh lDUl /DV|^w|aڎWrj /H +Ur4*ETN,lspft`U\վibKlRU3t㒿LqTᤘ_>P$?&4qjS,^D^lJUdCb:H#An盥cq0o 2%/"$7:JBԣx"4$5XDNP4"yأEMH;Q%'nLP]8qݔAG OiO->ciUE4BZ?㭩 Ũ!U -p1dv B _Ybt|yR( B? ֋~r iuT;U@z@ՋGad+yFXc'` Z:d$8 GO=rV.:z1@DG 3RUIg./ (! ۆ n|]FlW2#&<0ltDd^&e\}= .K[L@ ȉV"ioVKZH8n(/X|Wp9b 3]Ja vH6A# -pn+BFa/ȡ$^WFUL|EF:i8碌5xC%X+͙" Zx]jx^y1`0Ɉd}{w^| I6\i[dFDR $>unE@'FcDa2 7fRSUT Xwot,B0=ZC*Ho֊\>GX |x D8.3ַka}.kCxquU596&I R%@[!$[^Ю/J/]rqHl1_g^w5 n@;zL_lBn{o2!p5lUHg Eo \8Pj%K${5WgX٨7#Fy@]E=)Ka2uN9}ѐ¦/E|Mv7QnR кÒ@'U*]30͕J-^Ϙ2,' H9ԍ`TjǷ8Tw`C 1ﶧ;?M`r]ŃT,OHF85O/ТPp . bExN, ]-On J6 n=m0^*p浴c젌|{lNKqQkC4KC0 xxϊfʃbmFJUx暏F1$N"(ab rS߉WiK҉QJ3«ܪijx0aG pf┱qm Qdv߽׍~$w {Qw4;FMQp*B5?:- jj'tZNnNR#{ ]_VÉP9ЛтRtP8ㄇE]{')u:|d}E|<+; ZwILdzbJvX਌ Ƞ)T /{LwnP U.O5`΂Ka/Lˆ<`0%L%HpF(!ՌyD@KMEߘvr+3 "diNEK ̳FԒ?M,^p0YN -\Ee]S4iqn a0šGcu>.t=޼@*5o̖l|-f=NN^ADgn[ޡڥ4y{D.<[-'CμFA3J"%"wRsMNtADnVGPf_E i-tpjr\[TuLΏhq#BКQ g@ = DO^;t˂ NiPW{((Ŭy,~ B!b(E"l;8p:!W1:l1raKTn[^-h002 a$"H@8mvUX:g5!Hխ1g LH0bۊ *tW6|XX"]{Cf; Fx۸NLc̊jq1Iaa64xcKx}KhP}RV~ك"2!`5gT0apD a377!XI4zpUXAixܽȃ/o`^Փ::5L |F f`ƭdL.#LTiȺBN+X6ZiX#q)Pk c穦G;-Y{,t+Puߧ6,vy2X{:D&K+yb["5 (¼'- a-,;Xam<YyuĚy_b? u-3(P~s@S+[FnKEJ H*֭ȖM^W /OplHCzVhr2}. m&gI 3{;ӘM]H{CM}GU TwE*ظʆĽFd7$w7jQكXSa\HZN[JYEHY:jLQҭ~cZf:1UO<7npCT-~|W5³Ln&OjQ_d(';3{I *t|4R;y*wR gq-*ˡH0؃*99kZ:efoC]zKd崲Itק X,5z7 >U4$OE Hdv b b6 Mb&BBU7O ZC_J2MW{p쌕 kr#¿*;f6ؽO 5s_[×uz"f*3;}]zںXV.,9ߘb+2-[ ʤs4,769CS}Z@zJyhv}-[TJ??֍+KBC.2$[~z.ẘcg.Lu|Ǽk/c厝c.7F"oNKgXV_/Ե "z5ys5.E#ie`vYé7zCku(ˌ[&sz0p[Wj`V|'U?K^)_-,Ͻ?'WgɲWS"JYS㎬ `ȻhMr\[Qp[Òz*Hq6lGPNy,]z 'R FV`a+݄N*Y1332"[;656QBht:[Fz@n/|эT e ۹dx h J;$c:5 R~l!C(z8ٸuM]1@ɪ,]`" iQ7&,elh:.hXҢc{IjG©@X8p.H"M=Z>o]8`v7iƊ8Lj?eQTցg:">Pd)tدdmQtGCӘa ӲK( S<.fsr@rUh~T@K(hP?(< ǿWETZJj.kYjGғ^v)Q,ӎhn0\Sm)5bs/Һ ._E\ybYP[溚OκGЇQvĨW6~.k${5|WyT+9ZEo(b-d ǺoԔg6 T>DC)'3]_S,5aZa.mf6v'#+Э_(ā)9:G`-QjA}6͢jj J5TQt:h  ᱞiΪ&']춶Xox ldZ$:VbU-L^:LM0Bh-NXep*౺rU*Z湌[!ưNJjW[D^Lݿ ZXW[msdKgN0;ZXlntVHU qzFThqkaŽ@& QM@,bgM̶La[Uh~L3kRIjNb`:LơGg)$CZګ9QW8Qii|2;WTłsEwrHX;e,Bӭ͌#Q-0gz[Bgm`n: 1)R\yޢhRAEByg UN+_!;ZJߐh= {ncwgE9|9/?094"W%%b PlLl /Ȝ>TBy(&0hM M}*c.[+udEw } !_oplv'X$;r{W2[Cr^pD[#!|1JRו'[tM4(b9D*ثUW)o`Nqgj"}*@aO1%bpx1Uk]F\B 14+Jka[OMCxz,PkধmgK$լjx? Dׇ5lThU2QȋCO\E T}DvsmN1/1/V)1K˼Y h)A,sS,e;cMS1R@(.淴LV!gƥaa^a֍ZK#4 [tߛyl]` "LԜyZ-4 gݵ%&TF%$A]_<߲+ڎ[40o>g)kբM="BR4ǐ^wv:`!hdӣ| Mjfod ?X]c} v{?C-\Hqd7u8q?X tUqPay`:TV9EMn&uXkBR&ԒoR^;XX*A*aݤ- hK ZqHf1K"p:TGBjfRe^"~ @;Ќ%#!FL噡V2 ?>#qajC:>% fd\mʩ؁'#[<9aWZ0T8{4VD/Q_4HudM/<ȍ-8 Ilj}fpEkS+$&;&#lY*. A%6G[}r8mU)6!505slq_֢(8J;v3M *V*wyUdDki<Ƴ7}B ʎHFYۤt(Pz}(|SH,0Q'z z3C"\,Sh!шo(6˻S-rT!]r(X}Ί{]b9[$LyլKgo'ӼkԡVmkn]ݤZAƳ&p/ۆ|'\9z4'cE}aVA̚ʧ Z ڣH']LzBxSMvrIi#gE kjpR99f'jv3G![ DG.Dy8d6*^(Nś)ɇ:lWzˎ/#x#<5h8i7Vvl뺛aG;>A.'t$n4<,gnuzRo}V aq7Ȫh&T\rm]2_M[hArІ48鮕Hͬd @:K]6OO'S\ÂXf X9k>Uf@,Gl!v>NC)xOEg"sdze{?.smsЎek~昪>XsH snS"NȞEe4(ʋ^)8|I=} -Ozoh\FՀw\ϤğZ _fuΖ Mwe\so(>}Tȷ8(кJrw_n
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1